Shui Zhu Fish

Where This Goes Wrong

The oil must be smoking. Anything cooler and the chillies steam rather than bloom.

Slide the fish in one slice at a time and leave it alone — stirring breaks it apart.

Most of the chillies are there for aroma, not to be eaten. Push them aside as you go.

How to Make Shui Zhu Fish

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1. Toss the fish slices with the egg white, cornflour, wine and salt and leave 20 minutes.

   Mark done

2. Blanch the beansprouts or cabbage for 60 seconds and spread them in the base of a deep serving bowl.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

3. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and fry the doubanjiang for 60 seconds until the oil runs red.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

4. Add the minced garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then the stock, soy and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

5. Slide the fish slices in one at a time so they do not clump, and poach 2 minutes until just opaque. Do not stir.

   Mark done

6. Pour the fish and broth over the vegetables in the serving bowl.

   Mark done

7. Scatter the dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns and sliced garlic evenly across the surface.

   Mark done

8. Heat the 150 ml of oil until it just begins to smoke, then pour it slowly over the aromatics — it will crackle violently and the smell will fill the room.

   Mark done

9. Scatter with coriander and serve immediately with plenty of rice.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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What's Going On Here

The fish is velveted in egg white and cornflour and poached for barely two minutes, so it stays silky in a dish that looks aggressive. The smoking oil poured over the aromatics at the end blooms them instantly — done in the pan instead, the chillies would burn long before the dish reached the table.

After You've Cooked It

Eat immediately. Fish poached this gently does not survive reheating.

Ingredient Swaps

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the red chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

What to Serve Alongside

• A great deal of steamed rice
• A cooling cucumber salad
• Cold beer

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Vegan Fried Rice.

Still Wondering?

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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